Philly TSA Agent Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

(Newsroom America) -- A Transportation Security Administration screening agent who worked at the Philadelphia International Airport has been arrested and charged with distributing more than 100 images of child pornography via Facebook.

Authorities arrested Thomas Gordon Jr. of Philadelphia, 46, of Philadelphia, a screener who routinely searched airline passengers. Federal officials allege he uploaded pornographic images of young girls to several Facebook accounts and that he posed in one such image wearing his blue TSA uniform.

Neither the indictment nor the news release from the TSA mentioned that Gordon's job was to search airline passengers, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The charges against Gordon come as the TSA is already under fire for its pat down procedures. Just last week a YouTube video showed a female TSA agent's invasive pat down of a 6-year-old girl at an airport in New Orleans. Her parents said she was "groped," but TSA officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, have defended the procedure.

The indictment against Gordon alleges he used as many as six separate Facebook accounts and multiple names "to upload and store images of sexual exploitation of minor children."

Federal officials acted on a tip by the Delaware County District Attorney's Office. Federal agents began investigating Gordon March 10, the Inquirer said.

The paper also said Gordon's job was on the line last year as well for unrelated reasons, an online newsletter of the American Federation of Government Employees said.